Origin: All four of the jaboticaba species are native to the Minas Gerais
region of Brazil. Some are also indigenous to other parts of Brazil, as well
as areas in Bolivia, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Uruguay and Peru. In
Brazil jaboticabas are cultivated from the southern city of Rio Grande to
Bahia, and from the seacoast to Goyaz and Matto Grosso in the west. It was
introduced into California (at Santa Barbara) about 1904.

Adaptation: In Brazil jaboticabas grow from sea-level to elevations of
more than 3,000 ft. Different plants vary markedly in how much frost they can
take without severe damage, probably reflecting the species that a given
plant belongs to. Some plants can take 24° F or lower and survive; others
are damaged at 27° F. In 1917, a young tree at Brooksville, Florida
survived a temperature drop to 18° F. with only the foliage and branches
killed back. In California jaboticabas have been successfully grown in San
Diego, Spring Valley, Bostonia, Encinitas, South Los Angeles and as far north
as the San Jose and San Francisco Bay areas. The plant makes a suitable
container specimen.

DESCRIPTION

Growth Habit: The jaboticaba is a slow growing large shrub or small,
bushy tree. It reaches a height of 10 - 15 feet in California and
12 - 45 feet in Brazil, depending on the species. The trees are profusely
branched, beginning close to the ground and slanting upward and outward so
that the dense, rounded crown may attain an ultimate spread as wide as it is
tall. The thin, beige to reddish bark flakes off much like that of the guava.
The jaboticaba makes an attractive landscape plant.

Foliage: The evergreen, opposite leaves are lanceolate to elliptic,
1 - 4 inches in length and 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide. In color they are a glossy
dark green with a leathery texture. The size, shape and texture varies
somewhat from one species to another.

Flowers: The small yellow-white flowers dramatically emerge from the
multiple trunks, limbs and large branches in groups of four. It has been
reported from Brazil that solitary jaboticaba trees bear poorly compared with
those planted in groups, which indicates that cross-pollination enhances
productivity.

Fruits: Jaboticaba fruit is grape-like in appearance and texture but
with a thicker, tougher skin. Most California fruit is dark purple to almost
black in color. Averages size is one inch in diameter but can run from 3/4 to
1-1/2 inches, depending on species and variety. The gelatinous whitish pulp
contains from one to four small seeds and has a pleasant, subacid flavor
markedly similar to certain muscadine grapes. The skin has a slight resinous
flavor that is not objectionable. Fruit may be produced singly or in clusters
from the ground up all over the trunk and main branches, and the plant may
fruit up to five times per year. Fresh fruit is delicious eaten out-of-hand
and can be made into jellies, jams and wine. The skin is high in tannin and
should not be consumed in large quantities over a long period of time.

CULTURE

Location: Jaboticaba trees are will take full sun or some shade and
are small enough fit into many parts of the garden landscape. They are
fairly wind tolerant but do not like salty sea air. Small, young trees do
best with some protection.

Soil: Jaboticabas grow and fruit best in rich deep soil with a pH of
5.5 to 6.5. Although it is not well adapted to alkaline soils, it may be
grown successfully by mulching and applying necessary nutrient sprays
containing iron. The tree is not tolerant of salty or poorly drained soil. It
has grown and borne well on sand in Central Florida.

Fertilization: For young plants half ratio fertilizer at monthly
intervals will speed the plant's very slow growth rate. Any well-balanced
fertilizer applied three times per year will keep the plant healthy. Because
of its shallow root system, it is suggested that a series of small holes be
dug and filled with organic material around the plant's base. The organic
material can contain a balanced fertilizer which will be released
during irrigation.

Irrigation: Water should be supplied as needed to maintain good soil
moisture and prevent wilting, but constant flooding is undesirable. As the
root system is somewhat shallow, irrigation is usually required when the
upper inch or two of soil become dry.

Pruning: Pruning of jaboticabas is not usually needed, but when pruned
as a hedge, the fruit is not destroyed since it is formed only on the inner
branches and trunk.

Frost Protection: Although Jaboticabas can tolerate a few degrees of
frost, they do best under frost-free conditions. In areas where frost may be
a problem, providing them with some overhead protection or planting them next
to a wall or a building may be sufficient. The smallish plants are also
fairly easy to cover during cold snaps by placing carpeting, plastic
sheeting, etc. over a frame around them. Potted specimens can be moved to a
frost-secure area.

Propagation: Most seeds are polyembryonic, producing a plant that is
true or close to the parent plant. The seeds germinate in about one month. A
suggested potting mixture is 2 parts peat, 2 parts coarse sand and 1 part
coarse perlite, wood shavings or compost. Selected strains can be reproduced
by inarching (approach grafting) or air-layering. Budding is not easily
accomplished because of the thinness of the bark and the hardness of the of
the wood. Veneer or side grafts are fairly successful. The grafted plant
will fruit considerably earlier than a seedling. One may expect a grafted
plant to produce fruit within three years, It can take from 8 to 15 years for
a seedling to mature into a fruiting tree. It is this very slow growth that
has kept this plant from becoming as popular as it deserves to be. Grafting
older trees over to a different variety is inadvisable because it is the
trunk and inner branches which produce the fruit. One would have to cut the
tree back to a one-inch stump in order to change its fruiting nature.

When planting a jaboticaba, the crown (uppermost) roots should be 2 to
3 inches higher than the surrounding soil levels to provide water runoff. Peat,
compost or rotted manure may be mixed with the soil from the planting hole to
improve it. The soil should be a well-aerated mixture.

Pests and diseases: The fruit and flowers of some varieties are
susceptible to a fungus caused rust during wet periods. Many flowers may
desiccate during dry periods. Birds, raccoons and opossums are all attracted
to fruiting trees. Deer will sometimes browse on the new foliage, but
jaboticaba roots are not particularly attractive to gophers.

Harvest: Jaboticaba fruits are ready to harvest when they have
developed a full color and are somewhat soft like a ripe grape. They are
mostly eaten out-of-hand in South America. By squeezing the fruit between
the thumb and forefinger, one can cause the skin to split and the pulp to
slip into the mouth. The peeled fruits are often used for making jelly and
marmalade, with the addition of pectin. Jaboticaba wine is made to a limited
extent in Brazil.

Commercial Potential: Jaboticabas are a significant commercial fruit
in Brazil and to a limited extent in other parts of South America where they
thrive. They are a very tasty fresh fruit, and if they were more plentiful
and were properly promoted, they could have a commercial future in this
country. Their relative frost sensitivity combined with their slowness to
fruit from seedlings is a major drawback to commercial success.

CULTIVARS

Large to very large fruit, skin thick and leathery.
Flesh juicy, subacid to sweet. Quality very good, ripens relatively late.
Resistant to rust. Tree strong growing, highly productive though it bears a
single crop. Introduced into California in 1904.

Rajada

Fruit very large, skin green-bronze, thinner than that
of Paulista. Flavor sweet and very good. Tree much like that of Paulista.
Midseason.

Sabara

Most prized and most often planted tree in Brazil.
Fruit is small, thin-skinned and sweet. Tree medium-sized, precocious and
very productive. Produces 4 crops per year. Susceptible to flower and fruit
rust.

Ponhema

Produces a large, leathery skinned fruit with a
pointed apex. Must be fully ripe for eating raw. Mostly used in jellies or
preserves. Tree is very large and a heavy producer.